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Bounded on the north by Oklahoma and on the south, more or less, by the city of Muleshoe, and once proposed as a separate state called "Jefferson," the Texas panhandle isn't just 26,000 square miles of "hot and dusty." A vibrant area for the eco-tourist, this high-plains area was included in the 31 percent of the U.S. that was hottest and driest, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's U.S. Climate Extremes Index. Unlike weather data, climate data represents the average of annual temperatures and precipitation levels based on observations over a period of years.

Maximum Temperatures in the Texas Panhandle

The average high temperature in the Panhandle is 69.7 degrees Fahrenheit, but the temperatures that make up that average are brutal. Extreme highs logged for the south between January 2010 and April 2012 approach 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperatures in the Panhandle reach an average maximum of 91 degrees Fahrenheit in July. In January, February and March, temperatures reach 47, 53 and 62 degrees, respectively. The highs noted by climatologists for April and May run from 71 to 78 degrees. June's average high temperature reaches 87 degrees. After the temperature peak in July, August brings temperatures that average 89 degrees, and September drops all the way to 82 degrees. October's high temperatures average 71 degrees and by November, winter is setting in with temperatures in the low 50s. December is only 1 degree warmer than January, at 48 degrees Fahrenheit.

Texas Panhandle Minimum Temperatures

Like all of the United States' high plains, the evenings are, on average, substantially cooler than the daily average maximums; the Texas Panhandle is no different. The average low is 40.6 degrees, but like the average high, it represents a wide range of temperatures. January's 47-degree average high is offset by an average low of 19 degrees, while the average lows for February and March rise to near 30 degrees. In April, the average low is 38, a drop of 34 degrees from the average high, while by May, the average evening temperature is only 30 degrees below the daytime average high of 71. In June, the evening temperature of 58 may seem balmy, while scorching July and August days are followed by 62-degree nights. In September, it's back to the 50s, at 54 degrees, as the temperature for the rest of the year slides back toward January's average low of 19 degrees.

Rain and Snow in the Texas Panhandle

The Texas Panhandle averages 22.2 inches of precipitation every year in the form of rain and snow. The winter months in the Texas Panhandle are the driest, when December and January log 0.63 inches of precipitation, including rain and snow. Like the temperatures, precipitation levels steadily rise to a maximum average monthly precipitation level of 3.54 inches in June. In July, the hottest month, precipitation drops slightly and begins a graceful slide back to the 0.63 inches of rain and snow in the winter months.

Climate Change in the Texas Panhandle

Over the last 150 years, sea surface temperatures have been rising across the world. While the temperatures on the surface of the ocean - just 410 miles to the southeast of the Panhandle in the Gulf of Mexico - are rising , the Texas Panhandle's temperature also is rising. Although the Texas coast faces east, the consistent "on shore" winds carry heat from the ocean's surface toward the land. As the sea surface temperature continues to rise, it drives the annual temperature change, which results in changes in the area's flora and fauna.

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About the Author

Will Charpentier is a writer who specializes in boating and maritime subjects. A retired ship captain, Charpentier holds a doctorate in applied ocean science and engineering. He is also a certified marine technician and the author of a popular text on writing local history.

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